TV Plasma vs LCD vs LED/LCD

[TBroccoli]

I'm in the market for a new TV. I'm not sure what is the best out there for me. I want something in the 46 to 60 inch range. It will be going in the basement. It will be used for sports, movies and kid's gaming. Plasmas seem to be the least expensive, yet have the best refresh rate (600hz). LED's are great because of the no glare. What else should I be looking for???

[mike o]

http://reviews.cnet.com/best-high-definition-tvs/?tag=centerColumnArea1.0;buyAdvice........:wink:

[Tidbart]

For sports and movies, go plasma. For gaming, if you will have kids leave a static screen for long periods of time. Burn-in can be an issue, unless you train them to shut the tv off when not in use.

Samsung or Panasonic on the plasma, also.

B

[BUIZILLA]

Samsung 55

[DannyK]

Tidbart is correct on the burn-in thing. I'm very pleased with my 60" Panasonic Plasma for T.V. and DVD's- I don't play any games on it. It was about $900 at WallyWorld a year ago and probably cheaper now.

[MOP]

A little more reading, I had a plasma after five years the screen died. My LCD Monitor is old and still perfect so this round I went with a Samsung LCD, it in every way out performs my old plasma. http://www.cnet.com.au/plasma-vs-lcd-which-is-right-for-you-240036500.htm

[Tidbart]

Couple other things to keep in mind.....

Size the screen for the room.

Plasma of today is not the plasma of yesterday.

[mrfixxall]

My next route is going to be one of thease,,http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=home+theater+projector&_sacat=0&_odkw=home+theater+system&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

i have 2 friends that have them and have been awsome..one friend has his set up 80'' and the other has his set up as a 120'' tv/gamenig,he has had his set for 5 yrs and not a bit of problems,he also has the subs in the chairs that make them viberate :)
they say that the grey screen gives a better picture and blocks out the suns rays..

[DAULEY]

55 inch sony at best buy 1389.00 1080/120

[yeller]

I was concerned about the 'glare' from a plasma, but ended up with a Samsung plasma and it's not really an issue. It depends on the tv. Some do have huge glare/reflection issues, but many now have low glare screens.

You do have to be very careful about burn in though. It happens real easy. It will go away with use, but then comes back (real easy). My wife doesn't notice it, but it bugs the hell out of me.....enough so that I don't think I'd buy plasma again.

[ITTLFLI]

I had the same parameters. My space was 23x13. I went with samsung 46 LED(6300series). Its awesome!

[Ed Donnelly]

With 3 teens at home I just got (Christmas) 60" Sony HD 3D

Watched Alice in Wonderland and we were trying to catch the butterflys

Playstation games in 3D are super..............Ed

[tjags]

Does anyone have experience with the Internet Ready models? I've been looking for a while, but haven't pulled the trigger for fear the technology is too new.

I'd be using it to access netflix primarily, through the wi-fi network. Most places keep telling me to go with Samsung, but figured I'd consult the donzi.net as I do for all important matters :lookaroun:

Thanks everyone!! Great thread!

[roadtrip se]

Bought a Sony early, because I am a movie freak and just had to have one being holed up all winter in Michigan. Awesome picture for movies and sports in HD, not a gamer. It will burn, if you are not careful. It also has the glare in the wrong lighting situations. We took it to the lake house and still is going strong after six or seven years of use. Beautiful set.

We bought the Panasonic as a replacement. It has a filter on the screen that cuts the glare. It also has technology that moves the picure slightly to prevent burn-in. You don't see it, but it seems to work. The picture is even more vibrant than the Sony and it seems to have less latency.

I have watched the LEDs. They just don't have the pop like a plasma.

[McGary911]

There are a few things to consider when flipping the coin on this one.

Plasmas seem to have better picture quality if you're going by the reviews in the AV mags. I tend to agree. LCDs can't produce the same black level as plasmas. Plasmas do have some drawbacks. They're a lot heavier, and use a lot more energy. They also throw a decent amount of heat. Earlier on, longevity was a concern, but they've been around enough, that they're pretty much a proven technology. As for burn in, it can happen, but many have a "burn in removal" function. Just run that overnight, and it'll disappear.

I have 2 plasmas, and love them, but I got an LCD for the patio. It was cheaper, and I didn't know if would last 2 months out in the heat\humidity. Going on 1 1/2 years, and still strong.

When you're talking LCD and LED, you're talking on how the screen is backlit. Plasmas produce their own light, so they don't need to be backlit. Traditional LCDs utilize a flourescent backlight. When you get an LED LCD, it's backlit by Light Emitting Diodes. They offer more control of light v. dark areas of the screen, which improves picture quality quite a bit. You'll also see edgelit LED LCDs. The picture isn't any better than an normal LED LCD, but it allows the TV to be super thin. Not a concern to me, as I tend to hang them on the wall.

If you've got a PS3, install a media server like tversity on your computer. You can stream movies\music\pictures right through the PS3. I watch a lot of movies like that. I think I use it more for streaming, than I do for games.

Finally, once you get that great new TV, you'll need cables and maybe a wall mount. Don't blow your money in the store. Go to Monoprice.com and get yourself a wall mount for under $20. They hold my TVs to the walls just fine. The cables are great too. I have a 25' HDMI cable feeding my main TV, and I got it for under $10. They've got it all.

[Goldeneyee]

Just bought a Samsung 55" Led from Best Buy after much research and picture/feature comparison. Picture is perfect and set is energy efficient--no heat.

[BUIZILLA]

I turned on B-J yesterday, and my old plasma went pffffffffffftttttttttttttt :nilly:

dumpster is now a tad heavier...

timely topic

[Tidbart]

My experience is that Amazon has consistently been lowest in price for TVs, when you factor in taxes and shipping. My plasma, delivered and set up, was $400 cheaper than Best Buy.

Also, significantly cheaper are the HDMI cables and wall mount brackets.
A good HDMI cable can be had for under $10 and a solid, fully articulating bracket should be less than $150.

B

[Barry Eller]

We bought the Panasonic as a replacement. It has a filter on the screen that cuts the glare. It also has technology that moves the picure slightly to prevent burn-in. You don't see it, but it seems to work. The picture is even more vibrant than the Sony and it seems to have less latency.
I have watched the LEDs. They just don't have the pop like a plasma.

I bought a Panasonic Viera last year. 1080, 50" plasma, and it has the technology that shakes the picture to prevent burn-in too. I do have to close my picture window blinds during the day for glare, but the difference in picture quality between LCD and Plasma are tremendous. LEDs had a good picture, but a year ago they were also 3X the price and I agree with trip, the plasma has more color saturation and is much more vibrant. And the black is black on a plasma too.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

I bought a Panasonic Viera last year. 1080, 50" plasma, and it has the technology that shakes the picture to prevent burn-in too. I do have to close my picture window blinds during the day for glare, but the difference in picture quality between LCD and Plasma are tremendous. LEDs had a good picture, but a year ago they were also 3X the price and I agree with trip, the plasma has more color saturation and is much more vibrant. And the black is black on a plasma too.

My wife won the same Panasonic last year in a contest at her work. So far, we really like everything about it, but we do have to turn off the lights behind us or it reflects back off the flat face of the screen. It even has an SD card slot on the side for viewing pictures from our camera. Bill

[McGary911]

Another great hint for any new TV purchase; don't settle for the default display settings. They're typically cranked up to max everything so they stand out against the other 49 TVs at the big box stores.

Although you can have a pro come out and set it up for you, it's just as easy to find the optimum settings for your particular model. There are online resources to do this. It'll make a big improvement in your picture.

I think this is where I went to find the best settings for my TV

http://www.tweaktv.com/tweak-my-tv/

[RedDog]

Another option - 3 years ago I went with a 61 inch Samsung DLP. At that time to get 1080p in the 60 inch range DLP was the only option. I don't know if that is still true. While the rear projection DLPs aren't as sexy looking as the skinny plasmas and LCDs, the picture ranks right up there with the best in my opinion..

As far as internet ready TVs, you might want to get a companion box instead. I just got the Logitech Revue Google TV. Pretty slick system and should even get better in the near future as new apps become available.

[TBroccoli]

Thanks for all the input. I am still in the hunt. I know I want 46" to 60". Plasma seems to have the best picture but having three young boys I'm afraid of them leaving it on and getting burn in. With a plasma you get more bang for the buck. LED looks to be better then the LCD. As you can see I'm still debating which way to go. Glare may be an issue in the room. Searching more tomorrow night. Then I have to worry about how to mount it.

[Ed Donnelly]

LCD tv's use LED for back lighting only instead of flourescent CFL lighting ..Ed

[MOP]

Spent about a half hour in Best Buy yesterday comparing the two because of this post, I still like the LED batter can't beat side by side without the hype.

[Ranman]

There are a few things to consider when flipping the coin on this one.

Plasmas seem to have better picture quality if you're going by the reviews in the AV mags. I tend to agree. LCDs can't produce the same black level as plasmas. Plasmas do have some drawbacks. They're a lot heavier, and use a lot more energy. They also throw a decent amount of heat. Earlier on, longevity was a concern, but they've been around enough, that they're pretty much a proven technology. As for burn in, it can happen, but many have a "burn in removal" function. Just run that overnight, and it'll disappear.

I have 2 plasmas, and love them, but I got an LCD for the patio. It was cheaper, and I didn't know if would last 2 months out in the heat\humidity. Going on 1 1/2 years, and still strong.

When you're talking LCD and LED, you're talking on how the screen is backlit. Plasmas produce their own light, so they don't need to be backlit. Traditional LCDs utilize a flourescent backlight. When you get an LED LCD, it's backlit by Light Emitting Diodes. They offer more control of light v. dark areas of the screen, which improves picture quality quite a bit. You'll also see edgelit LED LCDs. The picture isn't any better than an normal LED LCD, but it allows the TV to be super thin. Not a concern to me, as I tend to hang them on the wall.

If you've got a PS3, install a media server like tversity on your computer. You can stream movies\music\pictures right through the PS3. I watch a lot of movies like that. I think I use it more for streaming, than I do for games.

Finally, once you get that great new TV, you'll need cables and maybe a wall mount. Don't blow your money in the store. Go to Monoprice.com and get yourself a wall mount for under $20. They hold my TVs to the walls just fine. The cables are great too. I have a 25' HDMI cable feeding my main TV, and I got it for under $10. They've got it all.

Good info. Especially on Monoprice.com. I've purchased a lot from them and I am continually amazed at the quality given the low prices.

[TBroccoli]

Thanks again for all the information. I think I am leaning towards the LED. The plasma scares me the way I know my kids will treat it. Burn in, even though it can be dealt with, will definately occur since my kids can't remember to turn the tv off after gaming several hrs a day. I am also concerned with the amount of glare I will be getting with my room's lighting.

Has anyone seen the new Mitsubishi 16 speaker LEDs? It looks and sounds great but I don't know if the price is worth the added audio. 46" on sale for $1,400. I found a Visio 46" LED for $799 but it has a few bad reviews when it comes to quality. Are there any back lit LEDs readily available? I heard they have a better picture then the side lit units. My local guy stated all the 2010 models are side lit. Decisions, decisions.

[Goldeneyee]

I looked long and hard at Visio mainly because of price. Look at the picture quality next to a Samsung--no comparison. Also, Visio hasn't been in business very long and its reputation is spotty at best. Buy the 55" Samsung Led and you won't be disappointed. Just my 2 cents.....

[zelatore]

Thanks again for all the information. I think I am leaning towards the LED. The plasma scares me the way I know my kids will treat it. Burn in, even though it can be dealt with, will definately occur since my kids can't remember to turn the tv off after gaming several hrs a day. I am also concerned with the amount of glare I will be getting with my room's lighting.
Has anyone seen the new Mitsubishi 16 speaker LEDs? It looks and sounds great but I don't know if the price is worth the added audio. 46" on sale for $1,400. I found a Visio 46" LED for $799 but it has a few bad reviews when it comes to quality. Are there any back lit LEDs readily available? I heard they have a better picture then the side lit units. My local guy stated all the 2010 models are side lit. Decisions, decisions.
Mitsubishi (or Sony or...) vs Visio is like mercedes vs chevy. They may both get you down the road, but it's pretty clear there's a noticable quality differance!

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Does anyone have any opinions please on Hitachi ?

[MOP]

No experience with Hitachi TV have had other things with no issues also have never heard a bad word about any of their stuff.

Phil

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Hey guys , HELP ...........Sony or Samsug ?

[Ghost]

Hey guys , HELP ...........Sony or Samsug ?

That may be too broad of a question, but I have had big problems with 2 out of 2 Samsungs now and won't go back to them.

[McGary911]

That may be too broad of a question, but I have had big problems with 2 out of 2 Samsungs now and won't go back to them.

And to complicate things, I have a couple of friends who are VERY happy with their Samsungs for 2+ years at this point.

Me.....I'm a Panasonic fan when it comes to a plasma set.

[BUIZILLA]

my 40" Samsung in the master bedroom just lost the volume today for some reason

and I swear by these things, it's 2 years old, i'm pissed...

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

dammmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Hey guys i am going to be looking at a Sony Bravia #55 class/1080 p /120 hz/ LCD/ HDTV model KDL 55EX500 At best buy opinion's please .

[Ghost]

That may be too broad of a question, but I have had big problems with 2 out of 2 Samsungs now and won't go back to them.


And to complicate things, I have a couple of friends who are VERY happy with their Samsungs for 2+ years at this point.

Me.....I'm a Panasonic fan when it comes to a plasma set.

LOL, exactly. FWIW I suppose I will give the particulars to furnish as much data as might be useful.

The first was a Samsung HD cathode ray tube set. CRTs should be easy to make bulletproof. But it died with a bad circuit board, got repaired, and died again.

After the second failure I got a credit, paid the difference, and replaced it with a Samsung 30ish - inch LCD, which has issues with turning on (it won't always turn on) and turning off (on its own). This is, I think, a known problem with a bad capacitor but Samsung has apparently largely thumbed its nose at everyone.

I initend to thumb my nose at Samsung from now on, thrice burned now.

[zelatore]

Without getting into specifics, Sony has generally been near the top of the pile. Sure they make a lot of different equipment and some are better than others, but I don't think they make any junk. I don't think I'd ever feel bad recomending Sony, even without knowing the details.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

my 40" Samsung in the master bedroom just lost the volume today for some reason

and I swear by these things, it's 2 years old, i'm pissed...

You might try unplugging it for at least 30 minutes and trying it again - that trick has worked on the volume problem on 2 sets I have "fixed". Bill

[BUIZILLA]

i'm going to try the 45-45 approach

45 minutes unplugged, or a 45 caliber in the middle... :shocking:

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Hey guys , i will be buying a new 55 Samsung tomorrow and is it really worth buying the X-tra warranty for 4 years for 2 hundred $$$$$.......to do ....or .....not to do .

[DAULEY]

sony kdl55hx800 great buy 240 led 3d 1899.00 by me with alice bundle great picture great deal sony outlet store factory new not rebuildt
you can find them at buy.com for 1798.00 but doent include the alice bundle

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

i'm going to try the 45-45 approach

45 minutes unplugged, or a 45 caliber in the middle... :shocking: Hey guy, i really love your way of thinking .....ha ha ha ha............ because i walk in your footsteps ......ha ha ha :shocking::shocking::shocking:

[TBroccoli]

For some reason I can't explain why I am leaning towards an LED over the plasma. The burn in issue, glare issue, efficiency issue, were all initial concerns. I've been told the anti-burn in "shift" eliminates burn in. The glare isn't really that bad. LED is 40% more efficient. Last night I went to hhgregg ready to buy the LED. The sales guy then showed me a feature on the plasma I cannot ignore. The glass screen is much more durable then the LED's which is like a laptop (puddles when touched). I have three little boys that like throwing things. Will they easily damage the LED screen? Is this a concern?

I was surprised how much heat the plasma puts out. I looked at the Samsung 50" plasma pn50c550. Store price=$849. Knowing the sales guy price=$700. I also looked at the Samsung 55" LED 1080p, 120hz 6300 series. Store price $1,499. Knowiing the sales guy price $1,200. I have to ask him the LED price for a 46". What should I do???
Note: He told me I should wait till after the Super Bowl because a lot of people return tv's after the game and they sell them at open box prices.

[DAULEY]

look at the sony kdl46hx800 3d and 240 you can find them for 1400 .00 led also
i think led screen is just like lcd not soft the led is only around the perimter i think

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Best Buy, just delivered my new 55 Samsung which is on sale this week .

[TBroccoli]

Which model number? Do you mind telling what you paid?

[scizzle]

I have a Panasonic 58 got it for $1499.
Great Television. I am a hardcore gamer and I have never had an issue with burn in. Burn in is a thing of the past. If you pause for a long time imprints might stay for a few seconds until their is action once again then it goes away. The technology of a plasma is far superior to an LCD television. In every aspect clarity, picture quality, colors. The downsides are weight, brightness because of your room, and heat. As long as you break in your tv correctly whether its lcd led or plasma it will last a long time. I have had a 42 panasonic plasma 720p used everyday for 6 years and I get complements on my picture quality all the time. (it's 6 years old). My Sony 1080p xbr 5 LCD can't even compare.


http://www.donziapparel.com (http://www.donziapparel.com/) Buy some Donzi Clothes

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Which model number? Do you mind telling what you paid?Hey guy i purchased the Sansung #LN55C630K1#55 inch - SKU #9784144 with free delivery and haulaway which included a minor setup for $1356.78...w /tax / including a $ 75.00 Power center that i purchased with the TV so minus that .......which is the overall cost,and you can to the math . Hey guy , to tell you the truth , i am very happy with the service of Best Buy and the Samsung i purchased at this point . Awsome picture .

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Scizzle , how long have you had your Samsung 55 ?

[Buddyc]

I have had them all. I would rank them LED, Plasma , LCD. I have the 55" Samsung LED in my living room and its amazing

[TBroccoli]

Thanks for all the information. I ended up purchasing the Samsung 55" LED 6300 series. $1,199. Bought a real nice entertainment center/stand also. I am hooking up the HD converter w/ HDMI cable tonight. Kids can't wait to hook up the XBOX Kenect to it.

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Thanks for all the information. I ended up purchasing the Samsung 55" LED 6300 series. $1,199. Bought a real nice entertainment center/stand also. I am hooking up the HD converter w/ HDMI cable tonight. Kids can't wait to hook up the XBOX Kenect to it. Very cool and enjoy because the more i watch mine the more i like it ...........Take care .

[McGary911]

Hey all. Bringing this one back to the top, because I just bought a new one.

I'm a big Panasonic fan, so I went with this one:

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Viera-ST30-Series-Plasma-Full-HD-3D-HDTV/model.TC-P55ST30_11002_7000000000000005702

You can't even get this one in the stores yet. I got a killer deal on it. List is $1800, and even for the the stores accepting pre orders, you can't get it for under 17. I got mine for $1350 through my job's preferred buyer program. I'm moving the old 50" up to the unfinished man cave. Wasn't going to buy yet, but the price was too good.

The pic is insanely good. The components in this TV are the same as the more expensive GT model. That one just has THX certification.

One thing I didn't expect to care about is really pretty cool. It has a bunch of apps like you'd have on an iPhone. You can download more if they suit you (TV has WiFi). I have a weather app, a youtube app and a break.com app which are pretty cool.

There's also a remote control app for your ipod\iphone\ipad. It's a very nice interface and works great.

This TV also has 3D capability, which is something else I really didn't care about, as the 2D performance on this thing is that good. I did break down and got 1 set of 3D glasses $$$$ (if you have a family of 5, factor in another $800 in your purchase price). A couple of things about 3D. First, make sure your glasses have the sides covered. I returned the first set which didn't have this. The light bleeding in really impacts the image on the TV. Now for the real 3D, you have to watch programming that's made for 3D. ESPN has a 3D channel on Comcast (crooks), and it looks great. There's a lot of repeated programming. A lot of the native 3D stuff is for kids. It may be a bit much for me, but it is pretty cool. What I really like, is the mode that converts 2D to 3D. It's not as dramatic, but adds just enough depth to make it really cool. It's not as overwhelming as the native 3D stuff....I actually like it better. Watched some racing on tv, and Deliverance like this. Super cool.

I love the TV, so consider this a thumbs up. If you work for a decent sized company, you may have some kind of program like this too. It really sweetens the deal.